


Where is your treasure (where is your youth)

by Aofie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Author Henry, Dark One Emma Swan, F/F, Non canon after season 5A, POV Henry, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aofie/pseuds/Aofie
Summary: It has been years since Emma became the Dark One and lost herself in the process. Henry has grown up and started a family and tried to put the past behind him... However in the back of his mind he remembers the promise he once made; when he was grown he would return. He would return and try to save them.Canon divergent from 5A. This is kinda what I wished they actually did with the Dark One storyline. No Dark Hook cause that was stupid. Also I got this idea from listening to Epic III from Hadestown (hence the title).
Relationships: Cinderella | Jacinda Vidrio/Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills & Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 13
Kudos: 37





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is over three parts and I will post one per week.
> 
> Please review and let me know if you are enjoying it (or not... whatever)
> 
> Thanks xx
> 
> \--A

_Once upon a time there was a young boy who had two mothers. One was his birth mother, a kind woman who loved him so much she gave him up because she wanted him to have his best chance. The other was a woman who wanted love so desperately that she adopted a child. She was a good mother at first, and she loved him and tried her best. But as time went by she became harsher and colder, and soon the boy realised that she was not his mother at all, but instead an evil queen who had cursed the entire town._

_So the boy ran away to find his birth mother, and find her he did, and he brought her back to the town to break the curse. And when his two mothers met for the first time sparks flew, of both hate and of lust and the two mothers clashed and connected in many ways. Eventually the curse was broken and the town mended, and so did his mothers. They mended each other, so his birth mother finally felt the love she deserved, and was reunited with her own parents who had been kept from her by the curse. And his adopted mother mended her broken heart which had caused her to become cold and evil, and she was finally able to love again. And the boy felt their love and watched them grow to be the best of friends, and perhaps something more. Though the something more they both denied, and instead, they both found kind men to be with who seemed to love them, and they were happy and had many adventures together._

_Then one day the town was threatened by darkness, a darkness so fearsome that they knew they would not escape unscathed. And the darkness wanted the boy’s adopted mother and tried to overwhelm her. But the boy’s birth mother would not have it and cried out ‘you cannot have her, she has worked too hard to have her happy ending destroyed!’ And she stepped into the darkness and thrust a dagger into the air binding the darkness to her instead._

_And so she became the Dark One. And though her family travelled to the realm where she now resided away from their beloved town there was nothing they could do to prevent her from spiralling into evil. For while the dagger she used to bind the darkness could be used to control her, she had given it to the boys adopted mother whom she trusted more than anyone else in the world. And then her own parents tricked the dagger away and returned it to her, and once it was back in her hands the power overwhelmed her and she forgot all the goodness inside of her._

_She became an evil twisted creature, who ruled the new land with a cold heart and an iron fist. The man who supposedly loved her left and returned to their old town with many others including the man who supposedly loved the boys adopted mother. Her parents remained, guilty over what they had done, and they tried to urge the boys adopted mother to leave too, but she would not. She could not bring herself to abandon her friend, and so she stayed. Eventually the boy was persuaded to go by his adopted mother, as his birth mother no longer recognised him or the rest of her family and he had to grow and live his own life unburdened by darkness._

_So he left, with great reluctance and vowed to be back some day to rescue them. Both his birth mother, and his adopted mother. And their names were Emma and Regina._

_And his name was Henry._

_And then one day after many years had passed and the boy was grown into a man, he returned._


	2. Part One

Henry had no idea if he would even be admitted to the Dark One’s castle. It had been years since he had last been here, far longer than he had anticipated. He always said he would go back, always assumed that he would… he just never expected it to be this long. Perhaps a part of him had been procrastinating, content to go on with his life and leave the horrible mess of his childhood behind.

It was actually Jacinda who had changed his mind, on her last visit she had swung past the capital and seen the Dark One in person. While it was from a distance it was enough to leave her running. She had hurried back to him and Lucy and told him he had to go, he had to leave right now because if he didn’t it would certainly be too late. He could not put it off any longer.

He had left the next day, and now here he was, in the capital… staring at the gates to the Dark One castle and wondering what he would find.

He knew enough from Jacinda to know that his grandparents still advised the Dark One, though it was in name only. She had not listened to anyone properly in years, decades probably. He wondered if his mother was still here, or if she had fled the capital unable to take it anymore.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and approached the gates. They were open, and a steady stream of people flowed in and out. It certainly had changed since he was last here; back then the gates had almost always been closed and admittance to see the Dark One was rare. She hadn’t been into deals back in those days. Clearly that had changed now.

Henry joined the line of people on their way in; the guards were stopping people as they entered and one asked Henry what his business was. He explained he was a writer and was interested in the Dark One as subject matter.

The guards laughed, “well good luck with that.” one chortled. “not many get to see the Dark One these days.”

Henry gestured to the crowds of people, “then what are these people doing here?”

The guard looked at him like he was batshit crazy. “This is the capital kid. This castle holds the biggest market in the realm. This is where it all happens, everyone knows that.”

“I’m not from around here.” Henry murmured. “So does no one get the see the Dark One?”

The guard was losing patience. “Only them she wants to see get to see her. I doubt you’ll rate an audience.”

“Does she still hold court?” Henry asked.

“When it takes her fancy. Which is not often. But it’s by invite only.” The guard gave him a shove. “Time to move on kid, you going in or not?”

Henry glared at the guard and entered the castle grounds. He resented being called a kid, he wasn’t a kid any longer; he had his own kid now. He had facial hair and everything. Besides only one person could get away with calling him that and she was probably lost forever. The memory burned.

He looked around as he wandered through the streets. The grounds had tripled at least in the time he’d been away. He assumed the Dark One’s magic was involved as from the outside the castle looked much the same size. It was now a sprawling city, full of market stalls, small businesses and even taverns. He understood why the guards had laughed at him earlier. This was a place of life; people clearly worked here on a daily basis and probably lived here too. He wondered how much of a hand in the running of things the Dark One had… probably not much, looking around he strongly suspected his mother was still here. This must be her work… no one else could organise and control something of this scale.

He wandered into the first tavern he saw and ordered an ale. He needed an idea of how this place worked in order to try and infiltrate the inner castle itself. Also he really had no clue now how to get in front of the Dark One. His initial plan had been simply to ask for an audience. Now it seemed as though that wasn’t likely. At any rate a tavern was the perfect place to pick up information. He settled down to listen to the buzz around him as his hand wrapped around his ale.

It was two weeks before he finally knew how he would get his audience.

…

One thing he had learned in his two weeks of listening was that these people had very little joy in their lives. They were oppressed for certain, and like many oppressed societies they barely even recognised it. They needed something to lift them up.

As a child Henry had been obsessed with fairy tales, understandably really as his whole life was one. As he grew older he moved from reading stories to creating them and in another realm he had become a gifted author. He intends to use that gift now, not just on the people within the castle community but on the Dark One herself.

And so he begins. Moving from tavern to tavern, coffee house to bath house, he tells his stories. At first he speaks only anecdotally, inserting himself into others conversations and injecting his stories into theirs organically. Then he finds himself being asked if he has any more tales to tell… when pressed he states he is an author and a teller of stories but most are made up. This does not seem to matter to people as they start to request his appearance in their tavern, or their market place. Wherever he is, people tend to follow.

He is careful to not mention the Dark One or her family. In fact most stories he tells are from realms other than this; he must be careful, be sure that his stories will not offend or cause an uprising. An uprising is not what these people need. It would only lead to their destruction.

After three careful months of this Henry is the most requested entertainer within the confines of the castle. In fact his reputation has grown so much that messages come in from other parts of the realm consistently requesting his services. Henry rejects them all stating clearly that he is staying where he is for the time being.

After four months of this he wonders if perhaps this plan won’t work after all. Perhaps the Dark One has lost all her humanity altogether. Or perhaps she is completely and totally uninterested in the goings on around her and has not even heard of him yet. Perhaps she never will…

He sits in a tavern one day nursing a whiskey in a foul mood. It is a tavern where he has entertained in the past and people keep interrupting his brooding to gush over him, or beg for a tale or two. Henry grumps at them all until they go away.

Someone new slides into the seat next to him and gestures to the barkeep to refill his glass. Henry frowns deeper, and lowers his head so far that the barkeep actually has to nudge his forehead away in order to refill his glass.

“Henry Mills I presume?” A deep voice asks.

“You presume correctly.” he grunts.

“You don’t look like much of a storyteller.”

Despite his black mood this comment outrages Henry enough to raise his head and glare at the man seated next to him. He is tall, heavily built with a long slightly hooked nose and greying hair that is thinning. He wears a long black cloak, dark grey leather trousers and jacket, and on top of that is light armour. He is one of the Dark One’s guards. “What is your name good sir?” he asks, as his anger leaves him immediately.

The man smiles at him, but there is no warmth in it. “You may call me Gareth.”

Henry raises an eyebrow. It’s a trick he picked up from his mother, no one raises an eyebrow like she does. “Is that your name?”

Gareth sighs. “Of course it is.”

“Could have just said.”

“I thought I had.”

Henry downs his drink in one go. “What do you want Gareth?”

“You’re to come with me Mr Mills.” Gareth gets up from his stool and holds an arm out.

“Why would I just come with you when I have no idea who you are or what you want?” Henry knows he’s being difficult, but he can’t appear to be too eager. He doesn’t want to end up in a dungeon.

“You are to come with me by order of the Dark One. I don’t suggest you delay any longer. She does not like to be kept waiting.”

Henry raised his eyebrow again in mock surprise. “The Dark One? What does the Dark One want with me? I’m a nobody.”

Gareth reaches out and plucks Henry from his stool, holding him high so his feet are off the ground and dangling uselessly below him. “She has heard of your so called renowned talent and wishes to grant you an audience.” He places him roughly down on his feet.

“I see.” Henry struggles to right himself without tripping. “Well then we’d best be off hadn’t we?”

“Indeed.” Gareth growls then throws a sack over his head and forcibly carries him out of the tavern.

…

When the sack is finally pulled off his head Henry takes one look around and groans. He is in a dungeon. “Fuck.” He’d really wanted to avoid this.

It could be worse though he realises as he looks around. As far as dungeons go, he’s been in worse. It’s a small cell, maybe two metres square, with a hard bed and a chamber pot in the corner. The bed has two moth eaten blankets and a lumpy pillow that he raises his head from in disgust. Last time he was in a dungeon it took him several weeks once released to get the lice out of his hair. He’d rather sleep on cold concrete that go through that again.

For the next several hours he does nothing but wait, and pace. Back and forward, two steps one way and two steps back. He takes the time to really consider his plan and whether it will even work. It has to. He only has one shot at this.

He is so focused on this thought that he misses the tell-tale sound of a bolt being thrown back. The door opens and as he turns his head towards the sound, he almost collapses in shock.

“Hello Henry.” His grandfather says tiredly. “Why on earth have you come back here?”

After a few moments of silence Henry finds his voice. “I told you I would.” He looks up at him in surprise. He expected his grandparents would finally have moved on from here, grown old and started a new life far away with their young son Neal. He wonders what has happened to him in all this. His grandfather has not appeared to have aged much physically which is a surprise in itself, but his face bears the marks of several decades of mental hardship. He has a beard which is half grey and scraggly, and there are lines around his eyes and mouth. Most importantly he is not smiling, and this has changed his face like nothing else ever could. Henry wonders briefly if he has forgotten how.

“That was some time ago.” David says as he looks down at Henry.

“You look tired.” Is all Henry can say. He has many questions he wants to ask, mostly centred around his mothers. But they stick in his throat. He is afraid of the answers.

“Why are you here?” David asks again.

“I have to try.” Henry replies. “You know I have to. I promised I would.”

“You were sent away to protect you from this, to give you your best chance. It what your mother wanted, it’s what Emma would have wanted if she were still with us–”

“She _is_ still with us.” Henry says obstinately, as he has many times before several decades ago.

David sighs. “Oh Henry.”

“Does she really want to see me?” he asks, a touch of desperation entering his voice. 

“Sadly yes.” he confirms. “We tried to talk her out of it, your mother especially. She wants to see you nonetheless. It is possible she is bored, or perhaps she just wants an excuse to torture someone. Henry… you must know she is not the same as when you left. None of us are.”

“She still doesn’t know who I am does she?”

“No she doesn’t. She doesn’t recognise any of us for who we are anymore and hasn’t for many years. She understands we are advisors of sorts, though she never takes our advice. And we must be very careful not to push her too far or offend her. She is more volatile than ever.”

“I see.” Henry considers this. Despite what his grandfather says it seems as though little has changed in the years he has been away. She did not recognise any of them then either. “My mom is still here then? And grandma?”

David nods. “Yes they are still here, though Snow and I don’t understand why Regina stays. She doesn’t owe Emma anything and could have her own life if she chose. But she won’t leave her.”

Henry doesn’t answer that. He finds it hard to believe that his grandparents still have not recognised what he himself saw when he was only a young boy. “I am surprised you have stayed Grandpa. You could have had a life too, you and Grandma and Neal.”

“Snow would not leave her again. And I would not leave Snow. We kept Neal for as long as we could but he too has gone away now he is grown.”

“Why have you not grown older?” Henry asks.

David shrugs, as he moves to sit on the hard lumpy bed. “We don’t know. Regina thinks we are somehow tied to the Dark One’s fate, and as she isn’t growing older neither do we. I don’t believe that can be true though. Snow thinks Emma is doing it.”

Henry shakes his head. “Emma was never that powerful. And even if she was she wouldn’t do it.”

“I know.” David agrees sadly. “But it is the last shred of hope that Snow has to cling onto.”

Henry nods, then resumes pacing as he isn’t sure of what else he can do.

“I don’t think I can get you out of this Henry. She has called for you and you must go before her.”

“Good. That was the plan.” Henry says firmly.

“She will destroy you. One wrong word…”

“I have to try.”

…

And so it was that he was moved from the dungeon to another room in the castle, a much nicer room, or suite would have been a better word for it. He even had a servant assigned to him and a small amount of clothing provided. This he assumed was so he was well presented before appearing in front of the Dark One.

He still had no indication of when this would actually be. David had not told him the specifics, only that he would be called for once the Dark One was ready, or ‘was in the right mood’ which Henry supposed could only help him. If she was in a bad mood his plan would be over before it started, and so would he.

He had assumed that he would at least see Emma at dinner time but she was nowhere to be seen. He did see his mother at the head of the table, as well as his grandparents, but they were all he recognised. The head of the top table was always conspicuously absent. He was seated at the table farthest from the top table, with probably fifty tables between them. Henry was disappointed that Regina did not seem to even try to look for him, though he supposed it would be quite awkward for them to lock eyes for the first time in a decade or two across a dining hall. The table he was on was filled with less important nobles and merchants. They are exceedingly dull, and even though his reputation precedes him no one asks him to tell a story. He wonders idly as he stares at his mother (sitting on the right of the empty throne) if they are actually that boring or if they know his stories must be for the Dark One only. If only she would ever call on him.

Things pass this way for a whole month, and Henry starts to feel foolish. Has she forgotten that she called for him? He begins to feel like a prisoner inside the castle, stuck mostly inside his suite of rooms and wondering if the plan is to send him insane.

He spends half a day seriously considering aborting the plan entirely and escaping, when he finally is sent for.

He follows the servant diligently until he arrives in the heart of the castle and is admitted to a large room. The walls are lined with people and Henry immediately recognises that he must be in the middle of the daily business of the Dark One. Not that the Dark One is present, but as he is prodded to the centre of the room he realises he is facing his family. Who are looking at him as though he were a stranger.

It is his mother Regina who seems to be running the business of the court this morning, and Henry can’t say he is surprised. She always was the most effective ruler of them all, whether it was as Queen or Mayor. On her right side stand his grandparents. Snow has a look on her face that suggests she’d like nothing more than to run up and hug him and he sees David’s hand stretch out to touch hers in warning.

“Mr Mills.” Regina says coolly.

Henry nods his head slightly in deference, unsure of how to address her since they have not been actually introduced. It is a very strange feeling to look at her without throwing himself into her arms. He has missed her.

“As you are aware the Dark One has summoned you. You must be curious as to why?” Regina continues.

“In truth I am more concerned that I have been here a month and have not yet seen her.” Or anyone else, he almost adds but decided its wiser to keep quiet.

“She appears when she wishes, on her timeline only.” Regina states flatly.

“So it would seem.” Henry says.

Regina’s eyes narrow at him and for a moment he foolishly worries that she does not recognise him. “I would recommend you curb that wit of yours when you are in front of her. She has called her court together for this evening and expects to see you.”

Henry gives a slight bow, “I will be there.”

Regina looks down at him seriously. “I would warn you Mr Mills. The Dark One has not stated her intentions towards you. It may be she is simply curious about your reputation as a storyteller, although it is very irregular for her to show an interest in something as frivolous as storytelling. But it may be more likely that she is interested in you for a more sinister reason. I suggest you are careful with your words and do nothing to make yourself seem a threat.”

Henry finds this very strange. “Why would I be a threat?” he asks, confused.

Regina looks at him directly. “You tell me Mr Mills.”

Henry takes a step back. “I’m not a threat.”

“I’m pleased to hear it.”

“So tonight?” he asks, unsure of himself now.

“Tonight. Make yourself presentable and be ready and waiting to be called for.” Regina says. She is looking at him now with a new expression he cannot name.

He nods, with a puzzled look. “I’ll be ready.”

“I fervently hope so Mr Mills.”

…

He makes himself as presentable and ready as he can be. He dresses simply, choosing one of the closer cut and fitted ensembles that has been provided to him. The outfit is simple but refined; leather pants and a loose silk shirt with a fitted waist coat. He feels sophisticated and confident, both of which he needs tonight. Moving to his old cloak he pulls something out of one of the hidden inside pockets.

It is scarf, one from his childhood that he wore so often it is now worn thin in some places, and so small that it does not wrap fully around his neck without making him look foolish. Instead he simply hangs the scarf loosely and admires the grey wool and red stripes against his sleek new outfit.

It is a risk, he knows this. But yet he can’t help but feel comforted, as if he is still that small boy who thought anything was possible… still the truest believer.

He must be that again in order to pull this off.

He is ready and waiting as instructed by Regina and he wonders if the whole court will be assembled or if he will be meeting with just the Dark One alone. He really hopes it isn’t the latter. He needs an audience, and he’s not entirely sure that he won’t break down completely if he comes face to face with her alone.

He waits for what feels like hours, but is probably not much more than thirty minutes or so. Eventually an attendant arrives for him and takes him through the castle on what seems to be a ridiculously long and winding journey. They finally arrive at a set of ornate wooden doors, and the attendant nods towards them.

“I just go in?” Henry asks uncertainly. He can hear the din of voices behind the doors, it sounds like a large crowd is gathered inside.

The attendant nods then leaves him there, standing in front of the doors like an idiot. He takes a deep breath and pushes them open and steps through.

The din inside the room grows softer as the doors swing closed and many heads turn towards him. Feeling more than a little foolish Henry scans the room, looking for a familiar face, or at least an indication of what he is to do now. He realises quickly he is in the throne room. It is vast, and indeed full of people who are mingling on two sides of an aisle that runs down the centre of the room. At the end is a raised platform with a small set of steps up to it. In the middle of the platform sit four thrones, three are occupied, and one is empty.

Henry is surprised to see his mother and grandparents seated on thrones. Given their background he shouldn’t be surprised as they have all been rulers in a past life, but here it seems strange. Perhaps because none of them sit in the biggest most ornate throne; the one that is centred and placed further forward than the other three. Or perhaps it is because he knows who that throne belongs to, and even now as a grown man he cannot wrap him mind around it.

He wonders where the Dark One is exactly.

He makes eye contact with Regina, who sits forward slightly rigidly as if the throne is the most uncomfortable thing she has ever sat on. She tilts her head slightly as if telling him to come forward. He does so, unsure of himself but trying not to let it show. As he moves forwards the din of the room returns to what Henry assumes is its normal level. Obviously he is of little importance other than interrupting the flow of conversation with his arrival.

He reaches the foot of the platform and nods a greeting to both his grandparents, and mother. Regina speaks softly. “She will be here soon I’m sure. We are not wholly certain of her plans for you so I suggest you mingle with the crowd until she calls.”

Henry nods again and turns to go when he hears her speak again.

“Be prepared Henry.”

He turns back to look at Regina in surprise. She gazes back at him impassively. His gaze flicks to Snow and David, on the other side of the huge empty throne. David nods reassuringly, but Snow has a furrowed brow as she looks at him and is bitting her lip. Henry nods again to the three of them and then steps backward and merges himself with the crowd.

For the next short while he occupies himself by chatting mindlessly to a young man who has just begun work as a clerk. He wastes no time in telling Henry how Regina is the most terrifying person he has ever met. Henry raises one eyebrow and enquires casually if he has ever spent time with the Dark One.

“I’ve never even seen the Dark One. Today will be my first time.” The young man says.

“So I take it she doesn’t hold court very often then?” Henry enquires.

“Oh no court is held often, but the Dark One rarely attends. And also I’ve only been here for six months, and this is only my third time here.”

Henry nods politely. No wonder Regina scares this man, he’s little more than a child. It’s becoming clear to him that it is Regina who keeps the realm running. Once a ruler always a ruler.

A hush falls over the room suddenly and Henry turns his head instinctively towards the front of the room. The Dark One has arrived.

Henry’s breath leaves his body in a whoosh as he looks at her. He understands now why he was told to prepare himself and why his family are so cautious.

The Emma he knew has gone completely. Before he left as a child she had grown cold and distant and eventually stopped recognising him as her son. Her skin had been so pale it was almost translucent, and her hair white as snow. All this had been quite shocking but she still looked like herself to some extent.

The Dark One in front of him no longer looks like his mother. She is still the same build roughly, only now her muscles are defined almost to the point of the grotesque. She is still dressed all in black but she has a flowing black cape around her shoulders in a fashion that is so similar to the Evil Queen that Henry finds his eyes flicking to Regina for a moment for reassurance. Regina is staring straight ahead. Emma’s hair is still shockingly white, but her skin is completely alien. It is shimmery green and scaly, and here and there Henry can see a deep black vein pulsing just beneath the surface.

All this however is nothing compared to her eyes. They are grey; a deep dark grey swimming in black. It isn’t the colour though that makes her so different, it’s the absence of any emotion, the utter lack of her old self present within those orbs. Henry suddenly feels very unsure of himself and his plan. He isn’t sure that there is anything human left in her at all. His heart starts to pound, and he gazes past her to look desperately at what’s left of his family.

Both David and Regina are look straight ahead with stony expressions, but Snow looks down at him, an unmistakable look of pity in her eyes.

The room is deathly quiet now, the appearance of the Dark One is enough to send everyone into utmost silence. Henry has taken an involuntary step back, as he discovers has most of the court. A space has been cleared in front of the thrones, and his throat closes as he imagines standing alone in the middle of it.

The Dark One faces the court, standing just in front of her throne. “Shall we begin?” she drawls, and it is both her voice but not. She sits back on her throne lounging almost, and inclines her head slightly towards Regina.

As Henry looks to Regina he discovers perhaps the most disconcerting thing of all. Regina always looked at Emma in the past with strong emotion, hate, anger, irritation, indulgence, care, desperation, love. Her thoughts and feelings towards Emma would shine out of her face no matter how much she tried to hide it. She would always have a snark or a word of caution, or consideration, perhaps even a term of endearment or two, reserved only for Emma. Even when Emma had first become the Dark One Regina had never treated her differently.

Now though, there was nothing. Regina barely seems to acknowledge her, she simply inclines her head in return then stands and clears her throat.

Henry has to look away. He looks down at his feet and takes a deep breath. It’s too late, he waited too long and now all is lost. If he makes it out of here alive it will be a miracle.

“Josiah Baker.” Regina calls in a clear loud voice. “Come forward.”

The crowd parts slightly for Josiah, a short plump man with dark curling hair. He stands in front of the throne and looks down.

“I understand you have a grievance you wish to share?” Regina asks.

Josiah shuffles his feet. “Dark One, I um, my market stall is failing because, well because the stall next to mine is a fish stall… and, and the um smell is turning away my customers.”

Henry find it interesting that he addresses Emma even though it’s Regina speaking (and obviously in charge of running things).

Emma raises an eyebrow slightly and smirks but says nothing.

“And what would you like done about this?” Regina asks.

“I, I was hoping you could perhaps move the fish stall?” mumbles Josiah.

“Is the owner of the fish stall present?” Regina calls.

Again the crowd shifts slightly to allow a young man through, he brushes past Henry who wrinkles his nose slightly. If his stall smells half as bad as he does Josiah Baker may have a point.

“Your name?” Regina asks coolly.

“Meister Jones sir.” The young man all but whispers.

“Do you have any objection to your stall being moved?”

“I do, my stall is in a very good position and is very lucrative. I do not wish to be moved to a corner of the market where my business might suffer.”

Regina turns to Josiah Baker, “Is this true?”

Josiah nods, “It is a good section of the market.”

Emma rolls her eyes, and shifts in her seat to lounge on the other side of her throne.

Regina stiffens ever so slightly, not enough for the crowd to notice but Henry does.

“Mr Baker, what proof do you have that it is the smell of Meister Jones’ stall that is keeping customers away?”

Josiah blinks at her, confused. “Wha what do you mean?” he stutters, “What other reason could there be?”

Regina is now the one to roll her eyes. “Perhaps we could speak with a witness, someone impartial perhaps?”

“Enough.” The Dark One snaps, and her voice has dropped an octave. “This is a petty waste of time, and I’m tired of it. There is one sure way to tell if this man is a terrible baker or not.” She waves a hand lazily at Josiah and turns him into a loaf of bread. “Bring that here.” she snaps at one of the attendants by the entrance door, and he scurries forward to bring her the loaf of bread. She tears a chunk off then chews it. As she swallows she makes a face. “The bread is terrible.” she spits it to the floor. “However I’m sure the fish smell as badly as this man does so he too can suffer the consequences of this shit show.” She waves her hand again and snaps Meister Jones’ neck. He falls to the floor with a loud thud.

Henry blanches, and once again stares up past Emma’s throne to his family. Regina remains impassive, David is still stony faced and Snow… Snow has tears in her eyes. Clearly this behaviour is normal for Emma. The crowd remain silent, not even a gasp uttered.

“Take this away.” Emma waves in disgust at the body in front of her. “This too.” She throws the rest of the loaf of bread down on top of it. “This is why I no longer attend court. What a waste of my time.” She looks at Regina. “Choose wisely this time.”

Regina closes her eyes in response then nods. “Henry Mills. Please step forwards.”

Henry’s heart pounds even more furiously as he steps forward into the empty space in front of the Dark One. He pauses for a fraction of a second then bows slightly. When he straightens he dares to look her at her fully. Her eyes are still swimming with black and the cold distant look frightens him. One eyebrow is raised in question.

Regina clears her throat. “Mr Mills, the Dark One has heard of your reputation and has asked you here today to…” she pauses.

“To see if he’s worth keeping around or worth killing.” Emma finishes, essentially dismissing Regina.

Henry doesn’t know what to say, but at that moment he ceases to feel fear. Either he will come out of this alive or he won’t. “I see.” he says, with a raised eyebrow of his own. “What exactly can I do to make you consider me worthy?”

“Your reputation as a storyteller intrigues me. Why don’t you indulge us? If you hold my interest you can remain as a part of my court.”

“And if not?” he can’t help but ask, somewhat foolishly.

“I’m sure you can work out the answer to that yourself. Now why don’t you begin before I change my mind and flay you immediately.”

Henry raises both eyebrows, “What an interesting way to ask me to tell you a story. Threatening my life is a new style of motivation for me.”

Regina’s eyes widen slightly, “Mr Mills, I’d remind you that the Dark One’s rule and wishes are absolute. I suggest you not sass her as you would any drunken lout in the nearest tavern!”

It’s well hidden but Henry can see the panic underneath the snappy response. Without that panic she might have been simply chiding him as she had when he was a boy _Don’t talk back to your mother._

“I apologise.” he says with a bow of his head, but the bow is to Regina not to Emma, who is still slouching on her throne with an amused expression playing around her mouth.

There is silence.

“Shall I begin?” He asks the room in general, spreading his hands wide. If he is to succeed in this he must give the performance of his life.

“We’re waiting with baited breath.” Emma uncrosses her legs and straightens slightly, as if she were serious not sarcastic.

Henry smiles and steps forward slightly…

_Once upon a time, in a land somewhat similar to this one, there lived a Sorceress. She had great power, but did not know the depth of her power for some time. By the end of her days she had conquered all realms, mastered all magic and destroyed all who defied her._

“Is this story about me?” Emma interrupts.

For the first time Snow speaks, leaning forward slightly her eyes shining. “Let him finish Dark One. I suspect there will be far more to this story that we realise.”

Emma flops back against her throne and waves her hand as if to say ‘get on with it’.

Henry continues.

_The heart of the Sorceress was dark, black as coal some might say. It had been hardened by the life she had lived, and the choices she made, and the darkness she had allowed into her soul had made it harder still. The only things she loved were those that gave her more power, or more darkness. If you could call such an emotion love. The Sorceress ruled the realms with an iron fist and tolerated no mistakes or errors from her constituents._

_However it was not always so. Once she was a young beautiful woman who was full of light. She was soft and kind, and she loved a great many things. Despite her affinity for magic she felt no differently to any other young woman. She had her whole life ahead of her, and she felt content. Her heart had known love in the past and would again in the future she was certain._

_She’d had a difficult childhood and she had fallen pregnant at such a young age that she had been forced to give the baby up in order to give him his best chance. Still despite all of this she had an inherent goodness that ran though her very soul._

Emma scoffs at this, but does not say anything. Henry looks directly into her dark eyes as he continues.

_Now one day the Sorceresses life (though she was not yet experienced enough to be considered a Sorceress) was turned upside down. Her long lost child returned to her. He was grown now, though still a child. A boy of ten years or so… he told her and she was needed. The woman who had taken him in was evil, she was a queen who had trapped an entire realm in a curse and wouldn’t set them free._

_It was this moment that the Sorceress learned of her powers, and of what magic could do. Though sceptical she followed the boy back to his home. His home was strange; he lived in a large white castle, with twin pillars out the front, and flowers in the windows. She watched him run down the path and past the woman he claimed to be the queen shouting at her as he ran._

_The Sorceress looked from the boy as he ran, to the woman, who was clearly desperate with worry. And at that moment when they first locked eyes something clicked into place inside the Sorceresses heart, and she fell in love with the woman, the Queen. She could not explain how it happened or why, in fact she hardly realised it at the time. All she knew was that she wanted to be part of this woman’s life, and the life of their child. She looked and looked and looked at her, standing there alone framed by the white house. Her face lined with worry and tear tracks, pink full lips, perfectly ordered shiny black hair cut short with style. Her dress was dark grey, tight fitting and showed her curves to perfection. The Sorceress took a deep breath and felt puzzled, it was like they had always known each other like they were meant to be._

_The queen looked up at her, tears still shining in her eyes as she breathed “You’re his mother?”_

_And because the Sorceress knew not what else she could say she opened her mouth and uttered a single word. “Hi?”_

_It turned out to be absolutely the wrong thing to say, as from that moment no matter what the Sorceress did or said she was at odds with the Queen. It turned out the boy was right, she was evil and had indeed cast a curse that had frozen an entire realm in both time and in desperation. For some strange reason she could not comprehend, it seemed as though she was the only one who could break the curse and restore the people’s memories. However it seemed more difficult than first intended, especially to go head to head with someone who felt like her destiny. So she dragged her heels and instead tried to spend as much time as she could with her son, which of course only enraged the Queen further. But no matter how much the Queen professed to hate the Sorceress she could not stop her from growing closer and closer._

_One day the boy was wandering through the woods searching for evidence against the Queen, when he fell down an abandoned mine. It was some time before he was missed, but eventually the Queen sent out a search party. It was the Sorceress who found him and raised the alarm. The Queen rushed to the mine in a panic, her brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Her worry for her son was plain for anyone to see. She stepped close to the Sorceress, nose to nose and said, “bring me back my son.”_

_The Sorceress nodded seriously, her blond curls tousling over her shoulders and she met the Queens eyes for a moment. Briefly she wondered if she just stepped closer, if she just moved one more inch, she could capture the Queen’s lips with her own. But then the moment passed and the Queen stepped away leaving the Sorceress to complete her task. And so she did, she valiantly climbed down into the mine and retrieved their son, bringing him to safety and to the Queen’s arms._

_Had she expected thanks, or appreciation she was mistaken, as the Queen turned her back on the Sorceress as she hugged her son tightly and the coil of hate in her chest grew hotter and tighter._

_No matter how much she tried she could not seem to make the Queen accept her, and their son grew sadder and sadder, and the realm grew colder and weaker until one day the Sorceress knew she must make a choice, she must break the curse upon them all before it was too late. And if that destroyed the Queen then so be it._

_Little did she know however that the Queen was also plotting against her, albeit in a far more heinous way. She was a master of the magical arts, and specialised in potions more powerful than any seen before. One bite of her poisoned fruit was enough to put one into a sleep so strong they would never wake up._

Henry pauses for a few moments here, these memories are harder than he thought to relive, and to spin in a way that makes the most interesting story. He looks to Snow briefly and sees that she is smiling slightly, though it doesn’t reach her eyes. Regina is still looking stonily ahead, and he can tell she is a few moments from breaking. Emma on the other hand has her eyes closed, as if she is intently listening to every single word. This lifts Henry’s spirits slightly.

“Why did you stop boy?” Emma says suddenly as she opens her eyes. “I take it the tale does not end there? Does the Queen succeed in sending this idiot girl to sleep forever?”

Regina finally speaks, “Dark One it has grown late, perhaps Mr Mills could finish the tale another evening.”

Emma swivels on her throne to look at Regina. “You dare make suggestions to me?”

Regina bows her head. “It will be more enjoyable if we are awake to hear it.”

Henry likes the way she doesn’t cower in front of Emma, though she wonders what her punishment will be for contradicting her.

Emma taps her fingers lightly on the arm of her throne and cocks her head to one side. “Fine. I accept that this is an interesting tale, however foolish the protagonist. It has become late and we will call an end to this court. Tomorrow evening he will continue the tale in the library.” With that she rises swiftly from her throne waves a hand and disappears.

The court lets out a collective sigh of relieve, and at Regina’s instruction begin to file out. A nameless servant takes Henry gently by the elbow and leads him back to his room. It is only then that he releases his own breath and draws himself a bath.

The situation is far worse than he expected, and he marvels at the strength of the bond between his grandparents and his mother that they could live their whole lives like this tied to a woman who has lost so much of herself that there is barely anything left.

Startled by the tears running down his face he begins to shake, and he turns the taps to hot. Eventually he starts to feel a bit better as the water warms and soothes him. Emma may barely be there anymore, but he knows his story reached her, and he is just at the beginning. If he can hold her attention for the rest, it’s possible he can bring her back.


	3. Part Two

Henry is roused from his sleep unwillingly. He has always been a somewhat light sleeper but now even more so. It is dark in his room but he still hears it, a slight rustling, as if someone has pulled a curtain aside and it has fallen back into place. He holds still for a moment, laying on his side as he listens more closely. He hears a floorboard squeak and suddenly he knows for certain, someone is in the room with him.

He slips a hand underneath his pillow and grasps hold of the knife he keeps there. The footsteps are closer now, moving around the side of the bed towards him. Just as the bed dents under a weight Henry acts, springing upright and holding his knife to a throat.

“Thank god.” Regina’s voice comes out from the darkness, and Henry breathes a sigh of relief. She tilts her head at him, “I was beginning to think my only son was a complete moron.”

As his heart rate returns to normal, his eyes adjust to the darkness and he can see her more clearly; she is still wearing the same clothes she had on in court earlier, but her hair is on the untidy side and her eyes look tired. “Hi Mom.” he whispers, as he holds a finger to her cheek as if marvelling at her very existence. He has missed her so much.

She leans forward and wraps both her arms around him, pulling him close. He revels in the hug, her arms feel the same as they had when he was a child; as if there was nothing in the world that she could not fix for him… If only that were still true. He pulls back and looks at her. “Moron? Really?”

“You should not have come back here sweetheart.” she says seriously. I told you to never come back.”

“And I told you I would.” he says just as seriously.

“Moron.” she smiles at him and strokes his hair.

“You should be more careful, I nearly slit your throat.” he frowns at her.

Regina shakes her head. “No you didn’t, you’re clearly far more capable than that.” She looks down, “however I’d appreciate it if you’d put the knife down now though.”

Henry looks down, then puts the knife to one side. “Why are you here? You could have come to see me any time since I’ve been here. Why now? I thought you were pretending you didn’t know me. Or that I don’t exist.”

“I have to act like that, surely you realise why?”

“I assume that Emma would not react well if she knew who I was. Although I thought she didn’t know any better anymore.” Henry frowned. She certainly had reacted to his story tonight as though it was all new to her.

“The Dark One does not know, she has no memory of who she was or where we all came from. But that does not mean that she won’t use you against me or others as a bargaining tool if she were to find out. She is constantly looking for ways to subdue me. It’s become a game for her. The Dark One needs me to run her realms for her, but she hates me nonetheless. I have to maintain a cold and dispassionate disposition at all times. If I show any interest or mercy, even leniency… She will kill. You saw how easily she killed those two today. That was a personal attack to me, for daring to begin the court in the normal fashion instead of bringing you up first. But if I hadn’t? She would more likely have killed you. The Dark One is not to be manipulated or bargained with. I fear for you Henry. I wish you had not come here.”

Henry places a hand on top of hers gently. “Do not fear for me. I’ll be okay.”

Regina gives him a look that clearly says she doesn’t believe him.

“Why do you call her The Dark One? Why not Emma? And why has she fixated so harshly upon you rather than Grams and Gramps?” he asks.

“Oh Henry. She isn’t Emma any longer, she hasn’t been for many years now. Can’t you see that? Whatever humanity she once had died a long time ago.” Regina rubs a hand across her eyes.

“Why do you stay then? If she is lost, what is it that keeps you here?” Henry refuses to believe there was no hope.

“It is my fault, I feel responsible for her. I must remain with her to try and mitigate the damage she does. It’s ironic really. I seem to have come full circle.”

“Mom you know it isn’t your fault that she became the Dark One. She did it to protect you yes, but she made that choice herself. As for what she has become, well that is nothing you could have stopped either. She always had the potential for great darkness, in some ways this was inevitable.”

Regina frowns, “I could have killed her when I had the chance, when I still held her dagger.”

“Stop it. You’re being ridiculous. You would never have done that.” Henry says, rolling his eyes. “We must focus on what we can do now.”

“We can’t do anything. You need to go back to wherever you came from and continue your life, and I will remain here…” Regina starts firm but trails off.

“Forever?” Henry questions. “You have not aged, neither have Snow and David. It’s her doing isn’t it?”

Regina’s shoulders sags. “I think so. Though I don’t know why. David thinks it is unintentional… and Snow, well she has her own theories.”

Henry can guess, and frankly he is on Snow’s side. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Which question was that?”

“Why does she target you?”

“Oh.” Regina sighs. “I’m not entirely sure, perhaps it is because she knows I run things for her, and it is her way of keeping me in check, or perhaps she remembers our old enmity.”

Henry snorts. “It isn’t that. You said yourself she doesn’t remember anything. Besides you’d stopped fighting long before she became the Dark One.”

“Perhaps.”

Henry can’t be bothered to argue. He strongly believes that Emma is still in there, and suspects this attitude is his mother’s way of coping. He can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for her to live here these last ten years with only his grandparents for company. He should never have left her here alone.

Regina wipes a hand across her eyes, “You must leave here Henry. You were lucky today, but you will not be again. I’m not quite certain of what you’re attempting, but I assure you it will not work. I came here to smuggle you out of the castle. You must leave now.”

Henry just looks at her. “You know I can’t do that.”

“You must.”

He shakes his head. “I won’t. I won’t leave you all here alone, and I won’t leave her. You know I won’t. She’s my mother.”

“Not anymore sweetheart, she’s not your mother anymore. She does not even remember you.”

Henry stands and turns to face Regina. “No matter what happens to her she will always be my mother, just as you are. She is still Emma, still the Saviour, still the Dark One, still a hundred other things. She is my mother; she will always be my mother. Just the same as you are. Do you understand? I would rather die by her hand with you watching than give up on her and walk away. You made me leave long ago when I was still a child, and I promised I would return. I’m keeping that promise. Whether you like it or not.”

A single tear slips down Regina’s cheek as she moves to him, taking his face in her hands. “Oh Henry, I’m so afraid for you.”

He wraps her up in his arms, her tiny frame so small. He is no longer the child he once was. “As I am for you.” he whispers. “But I know, I _know_ … it will be alright.”

…

The following night they meet in the library. It is a huge space, with so many towering bookshelves that Henry wonders why he has not sought this place out before. In the centre of the room there is a makeshift throne, with three tall chairs behind it. These are obviously for Regina, Snow and David. The rest of the space is taken up by reading chairs, spread around in groups of two’s and threes, but all facing the throne. He notices that there is still a large space left in the centre, he assumes for him. For some reason this set up intimidates him more than the full court had the night before.

This time Emma enters with Regina and his grandparents. Henry wonders why Emma keeps them elevated in positions of power if she is threatened by them. He doesn’t buy Regina’s claim that she is needed to run the kingdom. Emma doesn’t seem to be motivated that way… They sit without ceremony, the small group of lucky (or unlucky) insiders who have been invited to listen to the rest of his tale settle into their seats. Faces turn towards him expectantly.

He clears his throat and continues his tale, this time focusing on the apple turnover that the Queen intended to poison the Sorceress with, but in fact poisons their son by accident. He weaves a sort of magic into their tale, focusing on the unity of the two women as they worked to save his life. Henry does his best to not look at Regina as he speaks, he knows that this is still a painful subject for her as it still is for him. He sees Snow once again moved to tears and he fights not to roll his eyes. He ends the evening with the breaking of the curse, having spent much time on the sorceress’ fight with the evil dragon trapped below the castle. Everyone loves a good action scene every now and then. He weaves as much wonder as he can into the curse breaking, he tries to explain how it felt when the magic rocked through the boy and woke him from his sleep, how love was capable of so much power. He finishes with the Queen desperately telling her son how much she loved him.

“Love is weakness.” Emma says, and Henry sees Regina flinch. To be truthful he almost flinches himself.

“Is it?” he challenges her.

“If the Queen had not trusted the Sorceress, she would not have had her curse broken, and if she felt no love for the boy she would never have allowed the curse to break. She would have left him in his enchanted sleep forever.” Emma says flatly. She has been quiet throughout the story this time, refraining from commenting. She seems to be truly taking the story in.

“That may be true.” Henry agrees, “However her story is not finished. She may seem weak and without power now but in fact she has just begun her journey.”

“Mmmm.” Emma says with a frown. “Regina what do you make of this tale?”

Regina clears her throat. “I would not comment until its conclusion Dark One. And I feel that it may still have a long way to go.”

“Comment now.” Emma orders, narrowing her eyes.

“It has the makings of a learning tale. Perhaps one of redemption. However I cannot see that it could possibly have a happy ending.”

“That depends on your definition of happy.” Emma stands quickly, so quickly that Henry barely sees her move. One moment she seated lazily on her throne and the next she is standing right in front of him. She leans in close, looking him directly in the eye. He forces himself to remain still and keep eye contact. “Be careful boy.” she says quietly. “I do not know where this tale is taking us, but for now I am interested to find out. Pray that my interest does not wane.”

Henry bows his head slightly. “I thank you for the warning Dark One.”

Emma nods to him, “We are done for this evening. We will meet again tomorrow.”

She turns and heads towards the door, when she reaches it she turns back. “Oh and Henry?”

He turns to look at her.

“This had better have a satisfying ending. My kind of ending.” With that she flounces through the door, slamming it shut behind her.

Henry lets out a breath, his heart thudding erratically. Unless he was very much mistaken there was one less dark vein pulsing under the skin of Emma’s face than there had been yesterday.

Over the next two nights he tells the story of the Queen’s road to redemption, her commitment to rebuilding a relationship with her son and the escape from the wraith that nearly destroyed her. Emma remains silent until he reaches the scene where they join magic. She leans forward as he speaks about the wraith and the hat they used to banish it.

“So you’re saying that the Queen suddenly could not use her magic? She needed the Sorceress to what – jump start it? That seems somewhat far-fetched to me.” Emma says with a frown.

Henry spreads his hands open to the room. “Does anyone have any thoughts on this?”

Snow clears her throat, “Perhaps the magic inside the Queen could not work properly once the curse had broken?”

“Or perhaps the magic released by the curse worked differently?” A man pipes up from the crowd.

Emma raises her white eyebrows slightly. “The Queen is weak. She does not realise that she still holds all the power here. The Sorceress has taken her son and will take her magic if she isn’t careful.”

“Do continue the story please Mr Mills.” Regina says drily. “No doubt we will find the answer soon enough.”

So Henry continues, telling how the Sorceress was pulled into another realm along with the wraith, and with this news Emma breaks into a smile. “Good. She deserves it.”

“The Queen may not agree with you there. In fact she does all she can along with her son to bring her back. But that is a tale for another night.” Henry finishes with a flourish.

“Let me ask you a question kid.” Emma asks, and Henry’s heart quickens at the name.

“Yes?”

“What is so important about these two? Why do they constantly need to be in each other’s sphere of existence? Why does the Queen not simply kill the Sorceress, who frankly has not enough magic to have earned that name yet. Why do they care enough to hate each other so?”

Emma sounds almost earnest as she asks this question, and already Henry can see there is a difference in not just her demeanour but her voice as well. She is intrigued by the story; he knows she is. She is invested.

“Those reasons will come to light I assure you. Assuming this tale still interests you?”

Emma flicks a hand at Henry and he feels his whole body freeze. Another flick of her hand and he feels flames lick throughout his body. He is burning, on fire but he can’t scream, he is paralysed. His eyes flick to Regina who has gone white, her hands clenching around the arms of her chair.

Emma does not move, just looks at him lazily, “hurts doesn’t it?”

He cannot move, though he is sure that even if he could he wouldn’t. He has underestimated her terribly.

“I’m not sure what game you think you’re playing with me right now, but I assure you. You will not win.” With another flick of her hand she releases him, but leaves the fire burning through his veins.

Henry manages to stay standing, but only just. He doubles over in pain and wills himself to not vomit right there. “Please.”

“Please what?” she whispers, moving close to him.

“Please don’t hurt me anymore.” he whispers in return.

“Tell me why.” she says.

He can’t explain how but he knows she isn’t asking why she should stop hurting him. “Because they love each other.” he gasps.

Emma kneels down by his side. The fire stops burning, and he can breathe again. “That is not love.” she says softly. “Love is not that powerful.”

He takes a huge breath in and gazes up at her in shock.

She looks down on him in contempt and tosses her hair back. “See you tomorrow kid.” She storms out of the room.

Regina immediately rushes to Henry’s side. “Are you alright?”

Henry can only sit back on his heels and gasp. “Did you see?”

“See what?” Regina asks, running her hands over him to check for injuries.

“Her eyes.” Henry grabs her hands and forces her to look at him. “Her eyes were green.”

…

_The boy pulled on his mother’s arm, screaming for her to stop, to undo the spell._

_“I cannot. I’m sorry, but I cannot risk releasing more evil into this world.” The Queen cried as she continued to work dark magic over the portal, designed to kill anyone who stepped through._

_“It won’t be evil, it will be my Mom, she will come through I know it.” He tugged on her arm again, and this time she turned to look at him. “You have to trust me. I know this is hard but if you want to be good you must do good; your actions must speak louder than your words!”_

_The Queen faltered for a moment, then gazing into her son’s eyes she finally relented. She undid the spell on the portal just in time. They both ran to the well and leant over it looking into its depths to see what might come through._

_“No!” the boy cried and fell backwards. “It’s too late.”_

_“It isn’t too late my son, wait just a few moments more.” The Queen whispered as she went to his side and helped him to stand. “Look.”_

_They turned to the well just in time to see a head appear; long blonde curls slightly dishevelled now and a glaring red cloak. The Sorceress had returned. The Queen watched as her son ran to her and clung to her tightly. The Sorceress turned her head to the queen as it was pressed to her son’s head. “Thank you.”_

_The Queen stood still and watched as a heavy weight filled her stomach. “You’re welcome.”_

_The town’s people who had gathered surrounded the Sorceress and her son and escorted them away leaving the Queen standing there alone. She gave a sad sigh and returned to her castle, knowing that she was now and would always be an outsider. No one else had thanked her for the safe return of their beloved Sorceress. People still looked at her as if she was a monster. Perhaps she still was._

_It was some time later that she received a visitor. Rising from her throne in surprise she met the visitor in the hall. It was the Sorceress._

_“Thank you for saving me.”_

_The Queen was confused, “You already thanked me. I don’t understand.”_

_“I know what you did, our son told me the whole story. I know how difficult that must have been for you. We are having a dinner this evening at the tavern to celebrate my return and I would really like it if you could be there. People need to see you for who you are, not what you have done in the past.” The Sorceress spoke earnestly and sincerely, and the Queen could not help but believe her._

_So she went to the tavern that evening, and at first it was horrible. Many people jeered at her and attempted to throw her out asking “why is she here”, and “who invited the Evil Queen?”_

_Until the Sorceress’ voice rang out through the night silencing the crowd. “I invited her.”_

_The Queen looked through the crowd and saw only hate, anger and contempt, until she looked at the Sorceress. Her face was shining with happiness and at that moment the Queen knew she did not regret coming._

“This story is starting to bother me.” Emma drawls suddenly. Her eyes have remained green, which shocked Henry earlier that evening. It drastically alters her appearance. Her skin is still shot with black veins, and her hair is still white, but the colour of her eyes makes her seem more human.

“Would you like me to stop?” Henry asks sincerely, he has already been speaking for at least an hour, and while he would usually manage twice that amount he does not wish to push her too hard.

“I want to know why it is that she hated this woman not two seconds ago and now she’s in love with her.” Emma says with a frown. “Also I’m disappointed the Great Evil that was supposed to come through instead of the Sorceress did not at least tag along for the ride on the Sorceress’ coat. At least then there would be something to look forward to.”

Henry can’t help but smirk. “Who says it didn’t?”

Emma tilts her head. “Touché.”

“Shall I continue?”

“You only answered one of my questions.”

Henry is unsure that now would be a good time to answer it. He is conscious that Regina is sitting a mere two feet from Emma, and while Emma may not realise this story is about the two of them, Regina certainly does. As far as he knows she isn’t even aware that she is (or was) in love with Emma. He takes a breath and tries an answer, “Do you think the Queen is in love with the Sorceress?”

“I think it is fairly obvious to any idiot that they are both in love with each other. I wonder how long you shall drag this love story out… Surely they cannot remain blind to it for much longer.”

A cough comes from behind Emma, and Henry sees David covering his mouth in a hurry.

“You would be surprised how long two people can resist each other. Some resist for ever.” Henry says, as he looks to Regina briefly. She is glaring at David.

Emma rolls her eyes and waves a hand at him which he assumes means he is to continue. So he does, brushing through most of the rest of the events of that year he focuses on the trigger, and how Emma and Regina worked together to stop it. He finishes the evening off with his own kidnapping and the two of them leaving to rescue him together.

Emma then announces that she has business to deal with and will be away for the next week. She wishes to continue the story upon her return.

Henry frowns. He doesn’t want her to leave, who knows what leaving could do to her. What if she goes somewhere and loses the green of her eyes? What if she changes her mind when she returns and decides she doesn’t want to hear his story anymore?

Still there is nothing he can do about it, it’s not like he can argue with the Dark One. So he nods and agrees and watches with sad eyes as she leaves the room, his grandparents and mother trailing after her.

He feels defeated, perhaps he is dragging the story on for too long, but the whole truth needs to be told, the whole story needs to be heard otherwise she won’t understand and she won’t remember. And she has to remember.

People crowd around him, asking questions and wanting to know what happens next. This select few members of court who are allowed to join them in the library each night miss no opportunity to speak with him at any moment of the day. He does not know any of them, none are familiar, and he does not try to remember their names.

He manages to disengage and return to his rooms. He hopes half-heartedly that Regina will visit him again that evening but she does not. He tosses and turns, unable to sleep and eventually he gives up on trying and rises. Throwing on a cloak and boots he leaves his rooms and wanders the castle instead.

The inner keep is far larger on the inside that it appears to be. There are endless corridors and winding passages for him to explore and so he does just that. Some of them lead to normal places like kitchens and bathroom, or suites similar to his own, but others lead to locked doors and dark hallways, dead ends. And one leads to the dungeons.

Henry leaves that one alone, he has no desire to see what the dungeons of the Dark One look like. He hops fervently that Regina has some input into how they are run and how the prisoners are kept. Though of course it had to be said that her own dungeons were not exactly the safest and most comfortable either…

One winding staircase at the end of a long dark corridor leads to what he thinks may be a laboratory. The door is locked of course, but there is a glass panel cut into the door and by pressing his nose up to it he can see inside. There is a workbench, a cupboard and several sinks. It looks like what he always imagined a potions classroom would look like in Harry Potter. On one of the benches there is a large shape, draped in what looks to be a sheet.

His stomach flips over. He turns to leave, thinking that perhaps he will come back here another night, once he has found a key... He returns to his rooms just as dawn breaks, and throws himself into his bed, still wearing his cloak and boots. He falls asleep in seconds.

…

Emma is away for two weeks, and the castle seems far lighter without her. People do not speak in quiet tones and watch what they say as though she may appear behind them at any moment. Henry is left to wander freely through the castle and he makes great friends with the head cook, a rotund elderly lady named Bertha who reminds him strongly of Granny. He spends most mornings there chatting about life in the castle and inner keep, at the same time as munching on morning buns, and cakes and fresh bread. He tries to get as much information from Bertha as possible but she will not speak about the Dark One at all. All he manages to learn from her is that Emma is often away for weeks at a time, and in fact until he had begun his tale in the evenings no one had seen or heard from her for months.

His afternoons he usually spends in the outer castle, a place that he has not visited since he was first summoned by the Dark One. He is welcomed with surprise and enthusiasm from the general populace and quickly discovers that not many people who are taken inside the keep ever make it back out again. He is treated to round after round of ale and pressed for more stories.

He obliges but stays away from the tale of the Sorceress and the Queen. That is for his mother’s ears only (well that and anyone else lucky enough to be in the room at the same time). He wouldn’t even tell it to Bertha who had pressed him many times to tell her some of it, as word had got around the castle that it was a fantastic tale, his best ever. He refused to even speak on what the tale involved, even who the two main characters were. He simply smiled when pressed and shook his head slightly, a finger pressed to his lips.

When he was not stuffing himself in the kitchens or amusing the crowds in the taverns and markets he spent his time wandering the castle, attempting to find as much information on Emma as possible. He hoped each day that he would run into Regina, or even either of his grandparents but he never did. He had hoped Regina would visit him in his suite as she had previously, but she never came. Bertha had told him that Regina, Snow and David were the real rulers of the realm and that their days were mostly filled with things far too important for the ears of mere cooks and storytellers.

He returns to the laboratory each day, even though he has not found a key as yet. He thinks he is better off trying to pick the lock, but is concerned that if it is Emma’s lab (which he expects it is, hence trying to find a way in) she will know immediately if the lock is picked… actually the more he thinks about it, any self-respecting Dark One would put a magical lock or curse on any top secret lab they might have. He abandons the idea of breaking in, but returns often to the door anyway and peers inside to see if anything has changed. Nothing ever does.

One evening he turns from the door to find a young woman standing behind him. She has long dark hair and sharp eyebrows, with deep brown eyes. She is tiny in physique, and exudes a power that makes Henry take a step back. She looks quite young, no more than fifteen.

Henry just stands there looking at her, he knows he technically is not doing anything wrong but he is sure that he probably shouldn’t be down here, essentially snooping.

“Can I help you?” the girl asks, raising one perfect eyebrow.

“Perhaps.” Henry replies. “I am a guest here, and I was just spending some time exploring.”

“I know who you are Mr Mills, everyone does. However I’m surprised your wandering has brought you so far down here. What could possibly of interest down here?”

“Well I am a writer. I find inspiration everywhere.”

“I heard you were a story teller.” The girl says. “Not a writer. Writers write.”

“They aren’t mutually exclusive,” Henry states flatly. “It is possible to be both.” This girl is irritating him.

“So then is there anything I can help with?”

Henry gestures towards the door to the lab. “Do you have the key?”

“That laboratory is off limits.” The girl folds her arms tightly.

Henry expected that. “Can you tell me whose lab it is?”

“I couldn’t say.”

Henry expected that too. “Well then perhaps you can show me to the library? I confess I am rather turned around.”

“What are you doing here Mr Mills?”

“I told you, I’m just exploring the castle… trying to find things to fill my days with.” he says uneasily.

“You know what I mean Mr Mills. Let’s not dance around the truth yes?” The girl moves her hands to her hips.

“As you seem to know so much surely you also know that I was brought here by the Dark One herself.” Henry says with a frown.

“Indeed. No one seems able to talk of much else.”

“Then you realise your question is somewhat foolish. One does not defy the Dark Ones will.” Henry says uncertainly. “I’m here because she called for me.”

“It is not her will that interests me, it is yours. Anyone else in your position would be dead by now or dismissed at the very least. What are you still doing here?”

Henry shifts his weight from one foot to the other, “Well… I have to finish the story.”

“Why did you choose that story though? Why would anyone tell a story this long and involved to someone who could kill him as soon as she got bored?” The girl says, hands still on her hips, eyes fixed on his face.

Henry narrows his eyes at her. “When the Dark One summons you to tell her a story, you tell the best one you have. The most interesting and the most meaningful story in your repertoire no matter how long it takes you to tell it.”

She drops her hands with a frown and gestures to him to follow her down the corridor. “As long as you do not have an ulterior motive.”

He follows her down the corridor, trailing behind like a duckling following its mother. “My only motive is to entertain the Dark One; and get out of this unscathed.” He wants to tell her the truth for some reason, but a lifetime with Regina as his mother has taught him better.

“If that is the truth, then I’m sure you will succeed.” She glances over her shoulder to look at him as they walk. “I have heard that the Dark One has not been so enthralled by anything or anyone since her arrival here many decades ago. You’re lucky to have her attention in that way.”

“Am I?” he asks.

“Or unlucky, depending on your point of view.”

Henry says nothing to this, not wishing to reveal more of himself than he has already.

The girl leads him up a flight of stairs and down another corridor then points to a door towards the end. “Head through that door and then follow the hall down to the right. Then head through the door at the end and you’ll find yourself in the library.”

Henry nods to her. “Thank you.” He knows the way himself of course, but he asked her to show him as a means to an end. She makes him feel nervous.

She turns to face him and holds out a hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you Mr Mills. I hope we meet again someday.”

He shakes her hand, feeling slightly dazed and watches as she retreats down the hall in the direction they came from. It is only once she has gone completely that he realises he never asked her name, or what her position in the castle was. Within the hour he has forgotten the encounter completely.

Emma returns to the castle the following day.

…

_The Sorceress looked at the Queen in confusion, “You can’t though, you can’t just say goodbye and give us new memories… you can’t make us forget you.”_

_The Queen looked back at her, gazing into her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I wish I could, but this is the only way. I wish I could stay here with you and our son, but this spell will only work if I give up the thing I love most, and so I can never see our son again. You’re his mother, I know you will take care of him as I would. You have to go. Without this spell our whole world is lost.”_

_“We just got him back my Queen. We need more time. How can I possibly live up to you as his mother? I have no idea how to raise him.” the Sorceress said desperately._

_The Queen smiled sadly at her as she took both her hands and held them tightly. “The new memories I will give you are special. They are my memories… in this new reality you won’t have given him up. My memories will be implanted over yours. It will be as if you raised him from birth, you will know everything I do.”_

_“You would do that for me?”_

_“Of course I would.”_

“Wait, you’re telling me that’s the end? She leaves with their son and they never see each other again? Boy you had better have a better ending than that, or there will be hell to pay. I did not sit through weeks of this tale in order to be let down like this? Why on earth would you tell such a story?” Emma is outraged.

Henry resists the smirk he feels rising inside of him. “Dark One do you really think this is the end?”

Emma folds her arms and flounces back down in her throne. “It sure as hell seems like it.”

“Perhaps I could suggest you trust me on this?”

“I don’t trust anyone.” Emma snarls, “So why would I start with a no good storyteller who doesn’t even know how a good tale should end?”

“It is merely a suggestion.” Henry says, the smirk making a tiny appearance. “I can assure you there more of this tale to hear, much more.”

“Well go on then.”

Henry shakes his head slightly. “That is enough for tonight.”

Emma looks at him with thunder in her eyes. “Are you kidding?”

Henry shrugs, “A good cliff-hanger is always welcome no?”

“No.”

“Also Dark One it has now grown very late, and the next part of the tale is lengthy. Surely you can wait one more evening?”

Emma sits back in a slump, “Fine.”

“Tomorrow evening then?”

Emma does not answer, instead she rises gracefully and storms out of the library slamming the double doors behind her.

Henry lets out a breath and looks uncertainly towards the front of the room. Snow and David are both smiling, Snow is almost grinning from ear to ear, but Regina gives him a black look which almost rivals Emma’s. He knows this must be difficult for her, partly because it must hurt to remember Emma like this, full of hope and goodness and dripping in saviour. But he thinks the main reason is simply that he is calling out their feelings for one another in a way that has never been done before.

…

_This new threat they are facing is tiring in that they don’t really know who or what they are looking for. It is hard to fight an evil when you don’t know what it is. They have so far managed to convince the town that the Queen is still dangerous and must be the one who cast the curse. It does not help that they cannot remember the last year… at least now the town believes it is the queen, they might have a chance of flushing out the real villain._

_“You really believe I did not do it?” The Queen asked the Sorceress._

_“Of course. I may not always be right, but with you I can always tell when you’re lying. You didn’t do it.” The Sorceress said, and her heart skipped a beat as she looked down into the Queen’s eyes and saw the look of surprise and gratitude, and a hint of something else._

_They do their best to find the villain but nothing seemed to come of it. Eventually the Queen suggested teaching the Sorceress how to harness her powers properly. Together they began to learn magic in the hope that their joint powers would help fight the curse. It was slow going, the Sorceress was stubborn but had a well of power to tap. The Queen found it hard to believe that she had never been taught magic correctly, her way of casting was haphazard and based more on luck than any kind of skill. She reacted on instinct and emotion mostly, and learning any kind of structure was difficult._

_Eventually the Queen threw the Sorceress off the edge of a cliff in the hope that it would force her to use magic to save herself. It was a few frightening moments before she surfaced over the edge, suspended on a series of logs and vines, which rose up slowly until it delivered the Sorceress back to the top of the cliff._

_“Really?” the Sorceress cried, “That’s how you choose to teach me? By throwing me off a cliff?”_

_The Queen blinked, unwillingly to show how worried she had been moments earlier, “All I wanted was for you to raise yourself up over the edge, not erect an elaborate bridge made of vines!”_

_“Well I panicked!” the Sorceress snapped._

_“You have all this power and you don’t even know it.” the Queen said, shaking her head. “You could be so much more.”_

_And so began the beginning of a partnership neither woman expected. The Sorceress was still stubborn and the Queen was cranky, and snappish but eventually they got along and the Sorceress’ powers grew stronger each day._

_…_

“So tell me son,” Bertha asks Henry a few days later. “Just how long are you planning on spinning this tale out for?”

Henry shrugs and he passes Bertha the flour she’s reaching for. “As long as it takes.”

“What exactly is your plan? To just keep talking until she cracks?” Bertha asks casually as she kneads the dough.

“Why would you say that?” Henry asks, alarmed.

“Just a theory. Can’t imagine why you’d choose to tell such a long tale unless you had an end game in mind.” Bertha looks at him closely, “Pass me that rolling pin.”

Henry reaches behind him and pulls the rolling pin off the wall. “Here.”

Bertha takes it from him and begins to roll the dough out flat. They have spent the morning making bread, and now they have moved onto cookies. Henry keeps pinching dough whenever he has the chance.

Henry is disturbed by what Bertha is saying, she hasn’t even heard the tale so for her to ask that question means others must be talking about it. “Bertha is this something that’s the subject of gossip? Around the castle?”

She shakes her head. “Do not fear boy, these are my own musings and no one else’s. Most of the gossip is around the tale itself, and why exactly you seem so reluctant to divulge the details.”

Henry grunts. “Why would I be so stupid as to go around telling the whole world the same story that I’m telling the Dark One?”

Bertha shrugs. “Those who are not in her presence forget sometimes how frightening she is.”

Henry disagrees with this though; it does not track with how the people tiptoe around the place when they know Emma is here. Even in the marketplace (which as far as he knows Emma has never set foot in) the people are far more timid when she is away than when she is supposedly here. He has just seen two weeks evidence of this. “People seem to have a healthy amount of intimidation where she is concerned though, I don’t get why they keep asking me to tell it. If they were in my position they wouldn’t.”

“I’m not so sure of that. Most people in your position would be dead by now. She would have killed them before the first night was out. Whatever else you have going for you it seems as though you do have a gift for storytelling.”

“Gee thanks Bertha.” Henry says, going for another piece of dough.

Bertha smacks his hand away. “Well I’m only guessing since you have never bothered to tell me a tale in the whole time you’ve been coming here. All you do is sit around and swipe the fruits of my labour.”

Henry sighs, “Bertha would you like me to tell you a tale?”

She shrugs, “Maybe.”

“I’ll tell you one, as long as it’s not that one.” Henry says, holding out a hand. “And if you give me another piece of cookie dough.”

“You’ll end up rounder than my Aunt Agnes if you aren’t careful.” Bertha said, “And she was so round that she needed two strong men to move her from room to room.”

Henry sniggers. “Perhaps I should tell her tale then.”

Bertha looks alarmed now. “No one wishes to hear her story. Tell me something fun, a romance. With some humour. And some action.”

“Don’t want much do you?”

“I’m sure you can manage it.” Bertha finishes cutting out the cookies and places them on a sheet. She puts them in the oven then turns towards him. “You want some tea?” Wiping her hands on her apron she turns to put the kettle over the fire.

Henry nods, and then after a moment begins the tale.

…

The next evening Henry is just about to begin when he notices Regina is missing. His grandparents are in their usual positions, seated behind Emma but Regina’s seat is conspicuously empty.

“I see we are one short this evening?” he asks casually.

Emma raises an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

“No. Just… noting the absence.” He looks to the empty seat and sees Snow shake her head slightly.

“Well you’ve noted it. Now begin please.” Emma drawls.

Henry takes a deep breath and pushes his concern for his mother aside.

_“Have you found anything?” the Sorceress asked as she entered the library where the Queen had been working._

_“Nothing. I’ve been searching these books for two days and I can not find anything that might help us defeat the three Witches. This is useless!”_

_“I brought you lunch?”_

_The Queen looked up at her and smiled. “Please don’t tell me that’s ale…”_

_The Sorceress smiled back at her, “I like ale thank you very much, however I know you hate it so this is wine. Are there any goblets in here?”_

_The Queen looked down her nose at her. “Do you really think I have goblets in here? I am a queen and a bit more refined.” she waved a hand and two wine glasses materialised in front of them. “You really need to learn to do that yourself you know.”_

_“Why would I bother learning simple spells when there are far more powerful and necessary spells I could be learning? And when you can do it for me?”_

_“You’ll never reach your full power with that attitude.”_

_The Sorceress put the tray of food down on the desk in front of the queen. “I’m quite happy with the power I have now thank you.”_

_“And that is why I will be infiltrating the Witches coven and not you.” The Queen said with a smirk._

_“I’m still not sure this is the right thing to do. You may have known them in the past when you were the Evil Queen, but you’re a different person now. This is dangerous, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”_

_“Nothing is going to happen to me. I assure you. I can do this you know.” The Queen folded her arms and glared._

_“Fine. But I want to be with you every step of the way.” The Sorceress folded her arms in return._

_Unfortunately for the Sorceress, the Queen managed to both infiltrate the Witches coven and shake the Sorceress off her tail, though not without some manoeuvring. When she had not returned for three consecutive nights, the Sorceress began to worry and decided to head out to where the Witches gathered to look for her. She could not help the worry in her heart and mind when she thought of what may have happened. She could not lose the friendship of the Queen, they had only just begun to build something real between them… and what about their son? How could she face him if something happened to his other mother?_

_Eventually she caught up with her, but all she found was an exasperated Queen. “I am doing fine. It would in fact be much easier if I did not have to worry about you as well as them!” she snapped. “And who exactly is watching our son while you’re busy chasing me?”_

_The Sorceress looked back at her somewhat sheepishly. “I simply wanted to make sure you’re alright. I worry about you… even though you are the Evil Queen.”_

_The Queen frowned at her, “Can we stop using that word please? You’re probably more evil than I am these days, and that’s saying something.”_

_“Sorry.” The Sorceress meant it too._

_The Queen’s face softened. “I know you are, and I worry about you too.” She reached out and touched the Sorceress’ face lightly. “But you have to let me do this. You must have faith in me, as I have in you.”_

_After that there was not much more that could be done other than the Sorceress trusting that the Queen would be alright without her. So she went back home to their son and together they told stories and played games until their Queen returned._

_And eventually she did. She had been successful in her task, and the three evil witches had accepted her into their coven._

“One can only hope they managed to corrupt her again.” Emma mutters sullenly. “She is far less likeable now she doesn’t explode all the time.”

Henry frowns. “Do you really think so?”

Emma sits up straighter, which Henry has learned is a sign that she wishes to test him. “What do you think kid?”

“What do I think? Or what do I think you think?” he replies, cagy of a stepping into a trap.

“Both.” Emma smiles a dark smile, and Henry feels his skin crawl.

“Well,” he says slowly, thankful Regina is not present to hear this… “I think that she may be a more interesting character as the Evil Queen, however now she has softened slightly she is more likeable. She is someone the audience can root for and get behind as she struggles with her path to redemption. It is hard to support a character who is just straight up evil. And...” he takes a breath. “I believe that is what you really think too. Of course my opinion is nothing more than that, and certainly not worth the concern of the Dark One.”

Emma narrows her eyes and studies him. “That, you are correct on.” she pauses, and looks away for a long moment before turning back and tilting her head at him, “Do really believe someone with a past like hers could be redeemed?”

Henry pretends to consider this, as if he doesn’t already know the answer. “I think for the purpose of this story the only thing that truly matters is that the Sorceress believes in her redemption.”

Emma frowns. “Why do you say that?”

“Because it is her opinion that matters most to the Queen. If the Sorceress believes in her, then the Queen can begin to believe in herself. And that is when the true redemption begins.”

“You have an interesting view on life Henry.” Emma says. “I feel as though I should like to get to know you further.”

This makes Henry’s heart both leap and drop. She already knows him, or knew him once… better than anyone in the world. But to hear that now, as the Dark One… It gives him such hope. He cannot help but smile as he answers, “My door is always open Dark One.”

“Perhaps one day I shall make use of it.” Emma states. “Now please, do continue our story.”

…

Its two nights later, and Henry is struggling for the first time. Regina has reappeared this evening and though muted she is as imposing as ever. She has a nasty bruise down one cheek, and a dark shadow across her jaw. Henry’s eyes keep flicking towards her in concern. He doesn’t know exactly what happened but he can guess, and it makes his stomach turn over. He has now reached the part of the story where things could turn nasty. He doesn’t know how much Emma remembers about her transformation to the Dark One, but he assumes she must remember something. He doesn’t intend to mention the dagger, that’s far too obvious, and Emma is sure to have hidden it away somewhere still. He knows she must still hear its whispers.

He begins shakily, with far more pauses than usual as he struggles to get the words out. Then he settles slightly and lets the story flow from him.

_The darkness swirled around them, growing larger and more volatile every second. Eventually it targeted the Queen and engulfed her, eating her from the inside out._

_She screamed loudly, and the Sorceress and their son rushed towards her._

_“NO!” the Sorceress screamed, fighting through the swirls of darkness surrounding the Queen._

_“Mom!” their son cried, frightened and horrified by what he saw._

_The Sorceress pushed her way deeper, pushing the darkness away._

_The Queen stopped screaming and looked sadly back towards the Sorceress and her son. “Just let me go. It’s what best for everyone. It has to be me, who else would the Darkness come to?”_

_The Sorceress shakes her head fiercely in return, “I won’t let it. You’ve worked too hard to let your happiness be destroyed. You’ve come too far.” She steps even deeper in and thrusts her arm upwards into the thickest part of the darkness. It attaches to her like a lightning rod, deserting the Queen and winding itself around the Sorceress’ arm and down her body, swooping into her through her eyes, mouth and skin._

_“Stop!” the Queen cried. “You cannot do this!”_

_But the damage was done and there was nothing they could do, and the Sorceress would not have allowed it. She was completely prepared to give her whole life, heart and soul to the Darkness in order to save the Queen from it._

_The Darkness disappeared completely into the Sorceress and in a blink she had disappeared._

_Their son rushed to the Queen and threw his arms around her neck, “Are you alright?”_

_“I’m fine dear. I’m fine.”_

_She was not fine, there were tears streaming down her face and she felt dizzy and faint. She clutched her son to her chest tightly._

_“We have to find her.” he whispered quietly, his own tears mixing with hers._

_“I will sweetheart.” she whispered in return. “I promise you; I will find her.”_

The room is silent. Henry looks towards Regina, who cannot help the tears that have fallen down her bruised face.

Emma turns to look at Regina in confusion, then back to Henry. Then without a word she rises and swiftly exits the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say here that I have drawn heavily from Loosely Bound's Anglasha (OIAQ) in regards to the appearance of Dark Emma. Once you meet Anglasha it is hard to see Dark Emma as anything else. And the fire spell was one of hers too... Henry should just be thankful she didn't put ice through his veins after it! 
> 
> Having said that this version of Emma is pure evil and Anglasha is... Anglasha. (Those who have read the series will know exactly what I mean.) 
> 
> Please review!!!!
> 
> -A


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